Helping people stay safe during Tucson’s extreme summer heat is on the minds of local leaders.
Last year tied as the third warmest year on record here, according to the National Weather Service. The average temperature was 72.1 degrees, and 18 days reached at least 110 degrees.
The county recorded 126 heat-related deaths last year. Those are defined as deaths in which “environment heat exposure is either the primary cause of death or a significant contributing factor to the death.”
The figure for heat-related deaths rises to 176 when migrant deaths are included the grim tally.
“We hope that people will see these numbers from last year and remind themselves that heat-related deaths can happen to anyone,” said Pima County Public Health Department director Dr. Theresa Cullen in a county news release. “Just because you’ve lived in Tucson for a long time doesn’t mean you are ‘adapted’ to these extremely high temperatures.”
As part of the city and county’s efforts for Heat Awareness Week, Tucson Mayor Regina Romero posted tips and resources daily to her social media accounts.
More than half of the heat-related deaths last year — 91 of them — occurred in July, according to the county’s data dashboard.
Over 70% of heat-related deaths last year occurred outdoors, nearly 75% of them were men, and ages of those who died ranged from teenagers to people in their 90s.
Supervisors and the City Council passed ordinances last week to declare the second week of May “Heat Awareness Week.” It is to be used to provide tips, resources and outreach as residents prepare for the area’s brutal summer.
“Extreme heat can be dangerous in other ways as well. People who take certain medications are at greater risk of overheating,” according to a county news release. “The same goes for people who work outdoors, people with certain conditions, like lung and heart disease, pregnant people, children, and the elderly.”
“The inside of cars can reach deadly high temperatures in a matter of minutes, even when the windows are cracked, so parents and pet owners should never leave either in a car while running errands,” the county news release said. “People who see a child or pet left in a hot car should immediately call 911. When it comes to outdoor pets, all owners must provide proper shade, shelter, food, water, and vet care.”
Further information on heat-related illnesses, resources to stay cool and other tips from the county can be found at www.pima.gov/2042
“As we move into the heat season, ensuring the safety of our residents is a top priority, especially those who are most vulnerable from the dangers of extreme heat. The City of Tucson is actively drafting a heat protection ordinance, a heat action roadmap, and upgrading infrastructure to prevent heat illnesses and provide heat relief for all residents and City workers,” said Mayor Regina Romero in a news release.
“Our collective efforts today will increase our ability to mitigate and manage extreme heat, building resilience for the future,” she said.
The city touted its public pools and splashpads as cooling options, but the critical resource for many residents are their cooling centers, which first opened in 2021.
The city currently operates six facilities which all have air conditioning, indoor sitting areas, drinking fountains and refillable water bottle available to the public.
As part of the city and county’s efforts for Heat Awareness Week, Tucson Mayor Regina Romero posted tips and resources daily to her social media accounts.
Romero, as part of Heat Awareness Week, posted daily “heat awareness tips and updates” to her social media accounts. They ranged from hydration and the impacts of heat on your body, differences between heat exhaustion and heat stroke, safety tips for hikers and visitors and information on the city’s cooling centers.
The city’s six cooling centers will operate from June 1 through the end of August. They will be open daily from noon to 4 p.m., except on holidays.
Pima County also operates its own cooling centers. An interactive map to find the nearest resources can be found at: www.pima.gov/2307
As the Star’s Tony Davis put it, 2023 wasn’t just hot, “It was also the year of the split weather personality.” Temperatures from January through June fell well below normal, but the year’s second half saw temperatures soar.
Tucson’s weather shift started in July, the hottest month here on record, as previously reported. The average temperature of 94.2 degrees, the average monthly high was 108, and it was just the second month on-record to have every day reach at least 100 degrees.
Tucson finished out 2023 with its hottest second half of the year on record since the National Weather Service started keeping records here in 1895, Davis reported.
According to local officials, these figures are not going away anytime soon.
“Recent data highlights the urgent need to build heat resilience, with the summer of 2023 setting a record for the most days above 110 (degrees),” the city said in its news release this week. “Projections indicate that by 2035, Pima County will experience 160 days per year with temperatures at or above 90 (degrees).”
According to the National Weather Service in Tucson, however, this yearly average given by local officials could look a lot like what we just experienced.
Granted, it was the third-hottest year in Tucson’s history, but according to the National Weather Service in Tucson, there were 177 days where high temperatures reached at least 90 last year.And 89 days in 2023 here saw highs reach at least 100 degrees, the fourth-most in a single year on-record; the annual average is 68, according to the weather service.
As part of the city and county’s efforts for Heat Awareness Week, Tucson Mayor Regina Romero posted tips and resources daily to her social media accounts.
The 100-degree mark was reached every day from June 16 through Aug. 7. According to NWS Tucson, that 53-day stretch of 100-plus degree highs is the longest on record.
Tucson’s weather data is recorded at Tucson International Airport.
The city saw its third-most 105-plus-degree days in a single year with 51; the annual average is just 26. Of those, 18 days reached at least 110, which is an all-time record. The average is just two occurrences annually, according to the weather service here.
